Academics from the computer science department at Edge Hill University have secured £225,452 government funding to help scale up HRH International food exporter.
The grant will enable the two organisations to create a groundbreaking data platform to help boost the company’s productivity across all areas including customer management, order processing and supplier purchasing.
The platform will be vital in growing the business and keeping up with market demand.
Professor Marcello Trovati from Edge Hill University, said: “This project with HRH International represents a significant step forward in the application of advanced machine learning techniques to real-world business challenges.
“We’re excited to drive innovation that will directly impact HRH’s growth and success in international markets.”
The grant, from the Government agency Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme, will also fund the employment of a computer science graduate-level associate role. They will work directly with HRH international to develop and implement the data platform, gaining invaluable experience while contributing to this transformative innovation.
Frank Roue, director of HRH International, said: “The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is vital for us to transform our operations to scale the business.
“The expertise brought by the University and the implementation of this advanced data platform will help us better serve our customers while expanding our market reach.”
This is not the first time Edge Hill and HRH International have collaborated on a project. In 2023, they teamed up through the University’s SME Productivity and Innovation Centre’s High Growth Innovation Sprint programme to help companies overcome growth challenges.
Professor Simon Bolton from Edge Hill University expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are delighted to support HRH International in this next phase of their growth journey.
“This collaboration will not only embed new areas of technical innovation but also create highly skilled jobs and open up opportunities for market expansion.”
HRH international, a UK exporting company, works with a diverse range of clients from small retailers to large wholesaler distributors.
Edge Hill’s SME Productivity and Innovation Centre provides full-funded support to small and medium enterprises to address their growth and scale-up challenges and opportunities, and to develop financially feasible solutions.
From left: Director of HRH International Exports Ltd, Peter Hughes, together with owner, Frank Roue, outside their headquarters in Burscough.
Image credit: James Maloney
